


I’m Fine

by zukoooo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Coughing, Fever, Gaang (Avatar), Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, POV Zuko (Avatar), Sick Zuko (Avatar), Sickfic, Sneezing, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zukoooo/pseuds/zukoooo
Summary: Zuko: I’m not sickZuko: *is sick*Zuko catches a bad cold, but of course he doesn’t want to admit it or let the Gaang take care of him. He can’t hide it for too long before they find out, and they’re not going to let him take care of himself alone.
Comments: 50
Kudos: 715





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set while Zuko is training Aang before bonding with Sokka and Katara.

“Are you okay?” Aang asked, peering down at Zuko, who suddenly happened to be lying on the ground.

“Yes,” Zuko snapped in return, then proceeded to kick Aangs feet out from under him and pin him to the ground. “You should know better than to check on your opponent after you’ve got him down.” He rose to his feet, then offered a hand.

“Okay, well!” Aang protested, begrudgingly accepting Zuko’s hand. “It’s different because you’re not really my opponent. I thought I might have hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” Zuko said, although his head was starting to ache from the impact. “Anyway, you did well today. We can resume sparring tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me, I think dinner’s almost ready!” Aang bounced off, excited at the thought of food after a long day of training.

Zuko sighed and shook his head, following slowly. Although he admired Aang’s energy, he himself was exhausted. And though he technically won that last match, Zuko really had gotten the wind knocked out of him. He’d only won because Aang had paused to make sure he was alright. And that definitely didn’t sit well with him. 

Instead of following Aang in joining the others, Zuko walked back to his living quarters. They would probably send someone to let him know when dinner was ready. He knew the group wasn’t fully comfortable with him being there, especially Katara. The awkward hush that fell over their conversation every time he tried to join made that pretty clear.

When Zuko reached his room, he changed his clothes which had gotten sweaty from the exercise, then sat down on the small cot in the corner. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, Zuko’s head was pounding. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t been feeling his best the last few days. That last match he had with Aang definitely didn’t help. 

_ I probably just need some rest,  _ Zuko thought, laying down carefully so as not to bump his head. He hadn’t been sleeping well since– well, he hadn’t been sleeping well for quite a while. Maybe it was catching up to him. 

Less than a minute later, he could barely keep his eyes open.  There’s nothing wrong with getting a few minutes of rest before dinner,  he thought as he drifted into sleep.

•••

Zuko heard the footsteps coming towards his room just in time to sloppily lift himself into a sitting position.

“Time for dinner!” Toph announced loudly, bursting through the door.

“Don’t you knock?” Zuko demanded apprehensively.

“Well, next time I guess I don’t have to let you know,” Toph huffed, clearly annoyed by Zuko’s ingratitude. “Katara wasn’t gonna tell you, but I guess you’d rather have it that way.” She turned to leave.

“Sorry. Thanks for telling me.” There was a hint of frustration in his voice. He  was grateful, but who bursts into someone’s room without knocking? Whatever. “I’ll be over in a minute, you don’t have to wait for me.”

“Hm. Alright,” Toph replied. She had probably noticed the halfheartedness of Zuko’s apology. Still, she shut the door much more gently than she’d opened it. 

Zuko collapsed back onto his bed. He knew he shouldn’t have reacted so harshly. He was supposed to be winning them over,  _ not _ pushing them away. And it was kind that Toph had told him. He should’ve been nicer. But It was hard to be nice when his head hurt so damn bad. 

He took a deep breath, then groaned, realising how congested he was. He sniffled, then stood up slowly, hoping his head would clear once he was up and moving around for a little. He should probably get dinner too, before there was none left.

He sniffled again and rubbed the good side of his face as he walked to the dining area to join the rest of the group. Hopefully he could slip in quietly.

“The sleepy prince has arrived,” Toph announced, interrupting the conversation and shattering Zuko’s plan to not bring attention to himself. 

Aang looked up. “Were you really sleeping?” he asked, a glimmer of laughter in his eyes.

“No!” Zuko shouted much louder than he intended. Toph couldn’t see him anyway, how would she have known? He cleared his throat. “I was just resting for a minute.” 

“I heard Aang knocked ya down,” Sokka chimed in cheerily. “I guess you needed some time to recover, huh?”

Zuko shot an angry glance at a sheepish-looking Aang. “I’m sure he also told you who won that match.” 

“Yeah yeah, you win some, you lose some, buddy,” Sokka responded in a sing-song voice, clapping Zuko on the shoulder.

He stiffened as it caused a shooting pain in his head. “Guess so,” he mumbled before sitting down between Sokka and Toph. 

“Well... can we eat now?” Toph asked impatiently.

“Yes, we can eat,” Katara responded, shooting Toph a sideways glance that the girl wouldn’t notice anyway.

Zuko’s face flushed with embarrassment as he realised that they had been waiting for him.  Katara had been waiting for him. He opened his mouth to apologise, then thought better of it. He didn’t need to bring more attention to himself.

The room remained quiet throughout their meal except for a few nervous jokes from Sokka. Zuko knew the attention was on him, but he didn’t know what to do about it other than to eat in silence and avoid eye contact. And everyone could hear him sniffling. He desperately wished someone would say something. 

When Aang broke the silence, Zuko sighed with relief. “These noodles are really good, Katara!” he announced, his mouth full of said noodles. “What did you make them with?”

“Thanks, Aang!” she replied, her eyes lighting up. She seemed just as happy to escape the awkwardness that Zuko had brought to the table.

Just as she began to explain her dish, Zuko’s eyes got glassy, and he tilted his chin up, his lips slightly parted.

A half second later, he turned to his left, sneezing loudly into his elbow. 

“Bless you,” Aang and Sokka said in unison. 

Toph scooted a little farther away from him.

Katara sighed with annoyance, and crossed her arms as if he had intentionally ruined the conversation.

“Ugh,” Zuko mumbled under his breath, his face once again flushing red with embarrassment. He sniffled and rubbed his nose. “Sorry.” 

“You’ve been sniffling the whole time,” Toph pointed out. 

“Yeah,” Sokka agreed, “do you have allergies or something?”

“I’m fine” Zuko responded scathingly. He hated that the conversation was on him. They probably all thought he was sick or something. He  _ wasn’t _ sick. He was just a little congested, and it was bothering his nose. He sniffled.

“You sound like you need a handkerchief,” Katara said, pulling one out of her pocket and handing it to him.

“I said I’m  fine ,” Zuko yelled, standing up. The room got a little warmer. “I’m done eating anyway.” And with that, he stood up, cleaned his bowl, and left. He could feel Katara’s glare on his back.

By the time he returned to his room, he could already hear the others talking and laughing. He knew that the silence from earlier had been because of him.

Slowing his breathing, he focused on cooling the heat that was emanating from his skin. Once his pulse calmed down, he rested his head down on his pillow. He sniffled, then rubbed his nose. The shift in position was making his congestion worse. His breath hitched and he buried his face in his blanket before sneezing again. And again. And again. 

“Ughhh,” he moaned. The sneezing was  not helping his headache. At all. 

He sighed. Tonight, he just needed to let his body rest. He would feel better tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. 

•••

Maybe Zuko would’ve felt better with a good night’s sleep. That was far from what he got, though.

If it had just been the headache, it might have been alright, but he could barely breathe through his nose. He drifted lightly in and out of consciousness all night. By the time the sun began to rise, he felt worse than before. Zuko didn’t want to get out of bed, but he knew Aang would be ready for training soon. 

Before standing, Zuko sat on the edge of his cot to assess how his body was feeling. His headache was still there, although if was more of a heaviness than actual pain. His mouth was dry due to breathing through it all night, and his throat didn’t feel quite right. 

Zuko paused with his eyes half open before sneezing into his blanket to muffle the sound. “Ugh.” He sniffled. Couldn’t forget the sneezing and the stuffy nose.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, he was definitely catching a cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a little more angst and definitely some hurt/comfort. It’s also much longer than chapter one, so I hope that’s okay! Thanks for reading chapter one and please enjoy chapter two!

By dinner the next day, Zuko knew he wouldn’t be able to hide his illness much longer. Although his firebending session with Aang went smoothly enough, it drained what little energy he had left for the rest of the day. And now that he was sitting down to eat with the others, all other distractions were gone and he could only focus on the pressure in his head and the pain in his throat.

“Are you gonna eat that?” Sokka asked, eying Zuko’s untouched bowl of food.

“Sokka!” his sister scolded before Zuko could answer.

“What? It’s gonna get cold if he keeps on looking at it.” 

“Maybe he likes it like that,” Toph offered.

“Nobody eats cold food in the fire nation,” Aang scoffed, looking to Zuko for support.

“I’m right here,” Zuko retorted coldly. They didn’t have to talk like he wasn’t in the room. “And no. I’m not gonna eat it.”

“Yesss, more for me,” Sokka exclaimed as he reached across the table to grab Zuko’s bowl.

Katara’s frustration was hard to ignore.

Zuko averted his eyes. He knew she’d be hurt if he didn’t eat the food she’d made, especially since it was the second day in a row. And he would’ve eaten it, but he really didn’t feel well. His throat hurt more every time he swallowed. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes though, he wished he had just eaten it anyway. He sighed quietly. Maybe he could still make things better.

“Thanks for dinner,” Toph said with a yawn. “I told Aang I’d show him a new earthbending trick after dinner, so I’ll catch you guys later. C’mon Aang.”

“Alright! Thanks for the food Katara, it was really good!” Aang chirped before following Toph outside.

“It was alright I guess.” Sokka’s three empty bowls made it clear that he was joking with his sister.

“Yeah, yeah,” Katara responded, standing up to help clear the table.

Zuko stood as well. “I’ll help,” he blurted, grabbing a few of the bowls from the table. 

Katara and Sokka both looked up at him, surprised. “Uh, alright,” Katara said sceptically. 

“Well I will leave you to it,” Sokka responded, happy to get out of dish duty. He ran off before his sister could remind him of another chore he could help with.

Then it was just Zuko and Katara. “You know how wash dishes, right?” she asked after a pause.

“Of course I do!” he responded defensively. He sniffled and cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah, I know how.”

“Mm,” Katara hummed in response. She handed him the dishes she’d picked up before gathering water and a rag to clean the table. 

They worked in silence until Katara sighed. “Why wouldn’t you eat?” she asked, her tone a mixture of hostility and curiosity. 

Zuko paused. He knew his refusal to eat had been an insult to her. He silently cursed himself for it. Even though it was seemingly unimportant, he had messed it up. He always did. 

“Uh,” he paused, unsure whether to tell her that he wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t want her to see his weakness. It was a bad excuse anyway.

She looked up at him expectantly. 

Zuko sighed, then sniffled. He didn’t have the energy to make up a good excuse. “My throat hurts,” he mumbled quietly. 

Katara’s expression changed in an instant, suddenly displaying concern he didn’t know she’d had for him. “Are you sick?”

He sniffled again, shrugging his shoulders. “I dunno.” 

“You should rest,” she said sternly. “If you’re fighting something...”

“I don’t have time to rest,” he interrupted. “Aang needs training. I’m not going to waste his time waiting for me just because I have a sore throat.”

He could tell Katara wanted to argue, but she restrained herself. “Alright. But you’re going to bed now, I can tell you’re tired.”

“I’m fine, I want to help.” He didn’t say it, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he went to bed. 

“You did help, I’ll finish cleaning.” 

“Katara, I–“

“Don’t argue. We’re almost done anyway.” She came closer and gently took the bowl he was cleaning into her own hands. 

Zuko sighed in defeat. “Alright,” he mumbled, then turned to leave.

“And take this,” Katara said, prompting him to turn around. She held out the handkerchief she had offered him the other day.

“Okay,” he relented. “Thank you.”

She smiled just a little before turning back to her work. Zuko returned quietly to his room. 

Maybe Katara didn’t hate him as much as he thought.

•••

Zuko was just drifting into sleep after hours of insomnia when he felt his throat tickle. Hoping to get rid of it, he cleared his throat quietly, wincing at the pain it caused. It didn’t help. He took a deep breath and lifted himself onto one elbow, reaching for the water he kept beside his bed. The water soothed the pain, but didn’t ease the urge to cough. He sighed, then coughed gently into his fist. It seemed to go away, so he took a deep breath before lying back down. 

It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before he had to cough again. 

The third time, he coughed harder, hoping it would keep the tickle away for longer. Instead of making it go away, it launched him into a short coughing fit. 

Zuko groaned. He had been hoping that he wouldn’t develop a cough. Usually, when he caught a cold, his sore throat and sniffles would be gone within a few days. Every time he got a cough, though, a fever came soon after, and it would be a long time before he was feeling 100% again.

He tried to sniffle, but couldn’t breathe through his nose. Cursing under his breath, he shakily sat up on the edge of his bed and grabbed the handkerchief Katara had given him. He blew his nose and then laid down on his back, coughing weakly. 

He closed his eyes, hoping his body would let him rest for at least an hour or two.

•••

Hours later, he’d just managed to fall into a light sleep when he woke up coughing uncontrollably. Rolling over, he hid his face in his blanket to muffle the sound.  _I can’t wake up the others_ , he thought, trying—and failing—to end the coughing fit. 

It was nearly a minute before the coughing subsided. The blanket was singed and smoking. Breathing required a lot more effort than it should have. By the time he heard his doorknob turning, it was too late for him to compose himself. 

“You really can’t knock?” Zuko’s voice was too weak to sound all that intimidating.

“Your coughing was keeping me up,” Toph retorted, walking over to sit at the foot of his bed. “How’re you feeling, Sparky?”

Zuko sat up and sniffled. “I’m fine.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, I sometimes cough up a lung for fun too.” 

“What do you want?” Zuko grumbled. He sniffled a few times, then grabbed the handkerchief just in time to sneeze into it. He blew his nose and sniffled again. 

Toph waited until he was done. “I wanted to check on you, dummy.”

“I don’t need to be checked on,” he protested, rubbing his right eye. 

“You know I can hear you breathing from my room, right?”

“I’ll try to be quieter.” He rolled over so his back was facing Toph. He felt bad that his illness was keeping her up too. It wasn’t her fault that he was getting sick. He wished she’d leave him alone, he didn’t want people around him like this. 

She patted his leg gently and he tended under her touch. “Colds are always worse at night, you’ll feel better when you’re up. I’m here if you need anything, though.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled, sniffling. 

“See ya tomorrow.” She stood up and quietly walked out.

Zuko didn’t respond, but as soon as the door shut behind her, he coughed again as quietly as possible. He knew she could hear it anyway no matter how hard he tried to muffle it. At least she wasn’t mad. Honestly, it sounded almost as if Toph actually cared about him. He was sure she really just didn’t want him to keep waking her up. That would definitely make a lot more sense.

•••

“You look horrible,” Sokka exclaimed the second Zuko entered the room. 

“Thanks,” Zuko spat with a dirty look. It was nice to know that he looked as bad as he felt. He looked around the room, but only Sokka was up. “Where’s Aang?”

“He’s awake, I’m sure he’ll be down soon. What happened to you?”

“I’m fine.” Zuko walked past him to wait outside. 

Sokka laughed and followed him. “No really, you look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

That was a better explanation than admitting sickness. And it wasn’t a lie either. “Yeah, I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Your voice is hoarse.”

“I know.” Zuko cleared his throat. His voice did sound pretty rough. 

Sokka was staring at him expectantly.

“Okay, yeah,” he admitted, “I’m a little ill.” 

“I knew it!” He exclaimed with a fist pump. “You were sniffling all day yesterday.” 

Zuko didn’t respond. He needed to save his energy for training Aang. Then he could go back to his room and rest for tomorrow. As long as he had the strength to train during the day, it didn’t matter if he sick in bed all evening and night. 

“Last time I was sick,” Sokka continued, “I just had to suck on some frogs and then I was all better. Katara too!”

“You’re sick?” Aang questioned, suddenly appearing behind them.

“Not me,” Sokka explained. “Zuko.”

“What? You can’t train me today?” Aang deflated. 

“Did I say that?” Zuko snapped. Turning away, he coughed quietly into his fist. He could feel the air around him get warmer.

“Well...” Aang started.

“I’m fine, Aang.” Then, wanting to make sure he didn’t get the avatar sick, he added, “I might be coming down with a cold so just don’t get too close, okay?”

“I guess if you’re sure you’re feeling up to it.”

“I am. Let’s go.”

•••

“Are you okay?” Aang asked, looking down at Zuko who was once again on his back on the ground. 

When he could finally take a breath, he immediately began coughing. Aang helped him into a sitting position as Zuko attempted to cover his coughs in his elbow. 

“Just breathe,” Aang instructed, concern in his voice.

“I’m trying,” Zuko managed to get out between coughs. He’d been working twice as hard as usual to control his breathing. After years of training, controlling his breathing was supposed to be second nature. But his stupid cold tossed all that training out the window.

“Should I get Katara? Maybe she can help?” 

Zuko shook his head. The coughing was beginning to subside. His chest wa s  burning. 

“Are you sure?” Aang seemed like he might get Katara whether Zuko asked him to or not.

“Yeah. I’m fine, don’t worry her.” Zuko stayed on the ground breathing deeply, not yet ready to stand. 

“Maybe she can heal you!”

Zuko shook his head again. “Give me a hand.” He grunted in pain as Aang helped him up off the ground. 

“Careful,” Aang cautioned as Zuko swayed and grabbed his shoulder for balance.

“Dizzy. Sorry.” 

“I think I’m done with training for today,” Aang said cautiously.

Zuko wanted to argue. They didn’t have time to miss half a day’s training. That being said, if he couldn’t control his breathing, fire mbending practice was useless. “I guess.”

“Let’s get you back home,” Aang said, bracing him to walk.

“I can walk on my own!” Zuko shouted, ripping his arm out of Aang’s grip. 

“Alright,” he responded calmly.

Zuko felt his face flush with shame. He didn’t want to yell at Aang. He was mad at  himself . It was his own weakness that ruined things. He couldn’t control his body or his tongue. 

Aang walked beside him, clearly trying to keep an eye on him. When they got back, Zuko headed to his room. He wanted to be alone.

“I’m gonna get Katara,” Aang insisted. 

“I don’t want Katara. I’m going to rest, okay?”

Aang furrowed his eyebrows, but didn’t argue. “Fine, but the others are gone ask what happened.”

“Just don’t tell Katara I’m sick.” Zuko didn’t wait for Aang’s response. He left and returned to his room, collapsing into his bed.

He didn’t want Katara’s help. He didn’t want anyone’s help. They didn’t need another burden on their hands. And yet here he was: a burden. The only thing they wanted from him was to train Aang, but he couldn’t even do that. 

Zuko coughed and gritted his teeth. He deserved the pain he was feeling. He deserved worse. He coughed again and curled up on his side, back to the door. He shut his eyes tightly as tears threatened to spill out. Why couldn’t he do anything right? 

Zuko took a deep breath, then deliberately relaxed his body. If he was going to recover enough to teach Aang, he was going to have to rest. Pushing down his feelings of shame and frustration, Zuko focused on his breathing. Hopefully, he would be able to get some sleep and feel well enough to resume training.

•••

“No!” Zuko screamed, bolting upright, steam simmering off his skin. His breathing was fast and ragged, his eyes searching the room wildly. He had something in his hand.

He let go quickly as the room came into sharper focus. He was in bed. Sokka was kneeling beside him, clutching his wrist. 

“Sokka?” Zuko rasped, still disoriented.

“Hey, man,” Sokka greeted, pain in his voice.

Zuko snapped back to reality. Sokka was hurt. What happened? Had he... He had hurt Sokka. 

“Sokka I—“ Zuko began, his eyes full of terror.

“No, no, don’t worry,” Sokka assured him. “I’m totally fine, it’s just a little red.” He showed Zuko the mild burn on his wrist. It was the exact shape of Zuko’s hand closed around it. “It was my fault, not yours.”

“I’m sorry, I—“ Zuko’s sentence broke off as he began coughing.

“Take it easy,” Sokka said gently, reaching out, then pulling his hand back as he thought better of it. 

When Zuko had finished coughing, he asked weakly, “Why are you here?”

“Well, when Aang came back, he told me you weren’t feeling well, but you didn’t want Katara here. I’m no healer, but we figured we shouldn’t just leave ya here alone. You know, in case you needed something. You were sleeping when I got here, but just now, it looked like you were having a nightmare, I reached out to check your temperature and —“ Sokka paused. “Yeah...”

“I am really sorry, Sokka,” Zuko apologised. His chest felt tight, but he couldn’t tell if it was from his illness or anxiety. He was wide awake now.

“It’s totally okay, it wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry I woke you up, I know you haven’t been sleeping well.”

Zuko knew it was his fault. First Toph, and now Sokka. Thoughts he didn’t want to have were bubbling in his mind. The anxiety made him want to throw up. 

Sokka could tell. “Hey, lay down, its okay.” 

Zuko didn’t move. 

Sokka sighed. “You were having a nightmare,” he began calmly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” he responded through gritted teeth. He put his head in his hands and focused on calming his heart rate. 

Sokka waited until his breathing became more steady. “Is this why you haven’t been sleeping?” 

Zuko’s silence was enough of an answer. 

“I know what it’s like. I used to have nightmares all the time,” Sokkasaid. Zuko’s eyes lit up with surprise. “After our mom died. And again when dad left.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And I don’t know what you’ve gone through, but for me, it helped to talk about it with a friend.” 

_ A friend _ . “Are we . . .” Zuko trailed off. He wasn’t thinking clearly.

“Friends?” Sokka finished questioningly. “Are we friends? I mean yeah, I think so. You’re part of our group now, right?”

“I guess so.”

“So, do you want to tell me what you were dreaming about? As friends.”

Zuko sighed. He hated this feeling of weakness, but part of him was filled with warmth at the though of having a friend here. He cleared his throat. “Okay. Yeah. Um, I guess you know of my dad?”

“Firelord Ozai? I’ve heard of him.”

“Yeah, him. Well, uh,” Zuko paused, unsure of how much detail he wanted to go into, “he wasn’t a very good father to me. And he hurt me. More than once, and I—“ his voice broke as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t know it’d be so hard to say out loud. 

“It’s okay,” Sokka said quietly.

Zuko sniffled and cleared his throat again. “I relive some of those moments a lot. When I dream about it, I wake up in pain.” He took a shaky breath. “And when I returned to the firenation with my sister, I started having dreams where I’m just like him. Where I hurt everyone around me and—“ he stopped. He didn’t want to cry in front of Sokka. 

“Wow.” Sokka looked angry. 

Maybe Zuko had said too much. Not only had he shown weakness, but he had blatantly admitted that he dreamed of hurting others. Of course Sokka would be angry, how could he not be? So much for being friends.

“I already hated your dad, but now,” Sokka clenched his fists and shook his head. “I wanna kill that guy even more.” He paused, then looked up at Zuko. “I am so sorry he hurt you.”

Zuko looked back, surprised again. Sokka’s anger wasn’t directed at Zuko. Even after he’d told him about the nightmares.

“And as for the second one, you already made the right choice. You’re here with us, and you’re helping Aang. You’re gonna make it so Ozai can’t hurt anyone anymore. You are  nothing like him.”

“Thank you, Sokka,” Zuko said quietly, looking away. Sokka’s words lifted some of the anxiety that had been weighing on his chest. 

“I’m glad you’re here, and I know the others agree.”

“Well...” Zuko started.

“Okay, okay, Katara’s always overly cautious,” Sokka said. “Once she gets to know you, you’ll charm her with your bubbly personality.” He smirked.

Zuko glared back, but there was a light in his eyes. 

“No?” Sokka teased.

Zuko shook his head, then turned away to cough. It took a few seconds before he could catch his breath again. “Ugh.” He caught Sokka’s concerned gaze. “I’m fine, really”

“You should rest,” Sokka suggested.

“Yeah, I should.” He laid down slowly, wincing as the movement made his body ache.

“Can I feel your forehead?” Sokka asked hesitantly.

“I guess so,” Zuko mumbled, his eyelids already getting heavy. 

Sokka reached to touch his forehead with the back of his hand, then recoiled quickly. “You’re burning! Like, I could fry an egg on your forehead!”

Zuko frowned. He definitely didn’t appreciate that comment. “Firebenders are always warmer.”

“Not that warm!”

“How would you know?” Zuko retorted. 

“Fair point,” Sokka conceded. “I’m gonna have to get Katara, though.” 

“No,” Zuko protested, but his breath caught and he launched into a coughing fit. 

“You’re really not looking so hot.” Sokka paused to appreciate his joke, but quickly regained a serious tone. “She’s gonna find out anyway.”

“Fine,” Zuko agreed defeatedly when the coughing subsided. He wanted to argue more, but he didn’t have the energy. That and Sokka was probably right about his temperature.

He gave a lopsided grin. “Go back to sleep, Katara can’t pick a fight if you’re not awake when she gets here.”

Zuko laughed weakly and closed his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Sokka replied. Zuko heard the door shut, and then footsteps down the hall. 

Even though he was coughing and sick and exhausted, Zuko felt like a heaviness he had been carrying was beginning to lift. For the first time since he’d joined their group he felt the possibility that he wouldn’t have to be an outsider forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might have some Katara and Zuko hurt/comfort, what do you guys think?
> 
> I wrote this on the notes app of my phone so I’m sorry for any formatting errors!!! Thank you all for the love I received on my first chapter :) I hope you guys liked this one ♡


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to post!!!! Thank you all for the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Zuko woke up coughing. He couldn’t breathe. He rolled to his side, and lifted himself up with one arm, covering his mouth with the other. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, helping him sit up, and he leaned forward away from the touch.

When the coughing began to die down, Zuko collapsed back into his bed. His breathing was uneven, and his throat was in searing pain. The sleeve of his shirt was burnt where he had tried to cover his mouth.

“I need water,” he rasped, opening his eyes a little to see Katara sitting beside him.

“Okay,” she said quickly. His water was right next to her, and she held it to his lips before he forcefully took the cup from her hands. His own hands were unsteady, and he got just as much on the sheets as he did in his mouth.

“More,” he demanded, letting the cup fall out of his hands.

“Just a second.” She gave him another cup, which must have been her own. She held the cup to his lips. “Don’t spill it this time.”

Zuko mumbled a complaint but was more careful to keep the water from getting on the bed. When he had finished drinking, he cleared his throat and winced. “How long have I been out?” His voice was nearly gone.

“About an hour,” Katara responded. “You’ve been restless, though.”

Zuko wondered if she had witnessed his nightmares or if he was just coughing in his sleep. “Can you heal me?” He asked. He knew she had healing powers, but considering how sick he was still feeling, the answer was probably no.

Katara looked down and shook her head. “I tried, but I haven’t ever been able to heal illness, only injuries.”

“That’s okay, it’s not your fault I caught a cold,” Zuko coughed and winced at the pain in his chest, “or whatever this is.”

“I know,” Katara quipped. “You’ll recover with rest.”

Zuko hummed in response, then rubbed his nose. He sniffled.

Katara noticed and handed him a clean handkerchief. “Here. Your nose is running.”

“Thanks,” he said, turning his face as he blushed. He was embarrassed to blow his nose in front of her, but she was waiting expectantly. It had been barely a minute since she saw him coughing up his lungs anyway. He turned away as much as he could, then blew his nose. It didn’t help his congestion much. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She winced slightly as he coughed again. “Can you tell me what your symptoms are? I can’t heal you with waterbending, but I’ve taken care of a lot of sick people back at my village.”

Zuko adjusted himself, laying on his back. “Okay.” He figured she wanted more specific symptoms than I feel like I’m dying. “Uh, headache, congestion, sniffling.” He paused to sneeze into the handkerchief and blow his nose again. “Lots of sneezing. Sore throat, lots of coughing, and I guess I’m losing my voice.”

“When did you start coughing?”

“Early this morning. It started as a dry cough, but now it’s... whatever this is.” He coughed again, noticing how his lungs were now congested too. “And my chest hurts,” he added, the pain clear in his voice.

“I’m going to feel your temperature,” she told him, pushing away his bangs before resting the back of her hand on his forehead. “Your fever is pretty high.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, pushing her hand away.

“You’ll be fine if you take time to rest and recover,” Katara clarified.

“I can’t even rest with this cough,” Zuko responded angrily. He wanted to get over this illness so he could train Aang, but he wouldn’t be able to recover if he couldn’t get more than an hour of sleep without waking up coughing.

“Is it just the cough that’s keeping you up?” she asked.

Zuko paused. He hadn’t been sleeping well long before he got sick. He definitely didn’t want to tell Katara about his nightmares, though. He was already vulnerable enough in front of the girl who didn’t want him there. “Yeah, mostly just the cough.”

She looked skeptical. “Well, I have some medicine that can help your breathing while you sleep.”

Zuko didn’t respond. He wasn’t too fond of the idea of taking medicine. On the other hand, he needed to get better quickly so he could resume training the avatar.

“Here,” Katara started, grabbing a container that fit nicely in her palm. “We just have to rub this on your chest and back.”

“Fine,” Zuko grumbled.

Katara put her hand on his back to help him sit up, but he jerked away. “I can sit up on my own,” he said scathingly. His voice was congested and hoarse, and his words came out a lot more weakly than he intended. He hadn’t realized how shaky he was either. Zuko sighed and rubbed his good eye. He hated being like this in front of Katara. She already disliked him, and now she had to take care of him.

Zuko’s thoughts were interrupted, as Katara instructed him, “Take off your shirt.” She opened the container to reveal a clear paste.

“Fine,” he repeated, taking his shirt off slowly. He shivered as the cold air touched his bare skin. The action had left him breathing hard. His body was aching. He coughed lightly, willing himself not to launch into another coughing fit. Hopefully he could keep the coughing down until she left.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” he said shortly.

“Okay. I’ll do your back first,” Katara explained, then sat on the edge of his cot behind him.

“Mhm,” Zuko hummed, leaning forward so she could reach his back. He flinched as her cold hands touched his skin.

“Why are you so tense?” She mumbled under her breath as she rubbed the medicine into his skin.

Zuko laughed coldly. “Is that a real question?”

“What do you mean?” Katara asked, pausing with her hands on his back.

“Nothing.”

“No, what do you mean?” she repeated, her voice a little more hostile.

“I mean I already don’t feel good, and someone who hates me is responsible for taking care of me,” he said bitterly. “Right now you could stab me in the back, even, and I couldn’t do anything.” The thought had been going through his mind, but he hadn’t planned on saying it out loud.

Katara took a deep breath, and he looked down, already regretting having spoken. She exhaled without a word, though, and returned to her task.

They were both silent for a second before Zuko coughed lightly into his fist. His face flushed with embarrassment. He stifled another cough and Katara paused.

“Cough if you need to,” she instructed, her voice controlled.

Zuko didn’t say anything, but did his best to stop from coughing. He just wanted to get through this so she would leave him alone. There was no need for him to show more weakness. He was sure his words had only caused her hatred for him to grow stronger.

She sighed quietly and resumed, working her way up his back.

Zuko winced as she squeezed his shoulders.

“Did that hurt?”

“No,” he lied defensively. She did it again, and he inhaled sharply, then began to cough. He quickly covered his mouth with his fist, then leaned forward and buried his face in his elbow as the coughs got deeper.

Katara kept her hands on his back. “Just breathe.”

She could probably tell he was getting a little panicky. He couldn’t stop coughing.

“You’re okay, just focus on catching your breath.”

Zuko coughed until he felt like passing out, then the coughing subsided gradually. His breathing was heavy. He put his head in his hands.

Neither of them said anything as Katara continued spreading the medicine across Zuko’s skin. She finished, but continued rubbing his back as he caught his breath.

“I really don’t feel good,” he whispered after a few minutes of silence.

“I know,” Katara responded gently. Then hostility that had been in her voice returned quickly. “You’ll be fine.”

“I know,” he mumbled.

“What are you feeling right now?” she asked.

“Well, I’m coughing.” He caught her eye, and then continued reluctantly, “My head feels fuzzy. I’m congested. My lungs hurt.”

“Lean back, I’ll start putting the medicine on your chest too. It should help.” She put more of the paste on her hands.

Zuko grumbled, but did what she asked. He turned his head away so he didn’t have to watch as her fingers traced their way up hud chest. He couldn’t help but be intensely aware of how smooth her hands felt against his skin. Hopefully the fever would conceal how red his face was getting. At least the medicine was working to soothe the pain in his lungs. His chest was still tight, but it was more from anxiety than his illness.

“Better?” Katara asked, looking up, her hand still resting on his collarbone.

“Yeah,” he admitted, not meeting her gaze. “A little.”

Katara looked pleased as she put the lid back on her jar of medicine. “You should be able to breathe more easily now,” Katara said. “Are you tired?”

Zuko nodded. Even though he’d already fallen asleep twice, he was still exhausted.

“Lie down,” she instructed. She touched his shoulder, but he pulled away. He didn’t need help laying down, and he didn’t want her touch.

Zuko lowered his head, wincing as pain shot through his body.

“Do you need anything right now?”

He shook his head. “No. Thank you for helping me,” he mumbled under his breath.

“You’re my patient. Don’t think it’s anything more,” she said, turning her face away.

He hummed in response, pulling a blanket tightly around his shoulders. He knew she was only taking care of him because she had to. He was just another burden weighing on her shoulders.

Even though his body was ready to sleep, he knew it’d be hours before his anxiety would let his mind rest. Especially with Katara’s eyes on his back. At least he wouldn’t be coughing as much.

•••

It was dark the next time Zuko woke up. His heart was racing. He stopped himself from crying out, but a hiss escaped his lips. It was only a nightmare. Everything was okay.

“You alright?” a small voice whispered.

He tensed instinctively before realizing who was there. “Toph?”

“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?”

He sighed, immensely grateful that it wasn’t Katara. The last thing he needed was Katara witnessing his nightmares. He turned away taking a shaky breath. “Yeah. It was just— yeah, I’m fine.”

“Was it a nightmare?” she questioned, moving closer beside him. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft.

“I dunno,” he mumbled, although he was sure she knew. He stifled a cough and groaned faintly.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked carefully. She rested her hand on his back as he suppressed another cough.

He shook his head slightly, but remembered she wouldn’t see it. “No, it’s okay.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice more gentle than he thought she could be. “I’ll be here.”

Zuko mumbled a thanks, then tried to return to sleep. He slowed his breathing and tried to empty his mind, but his head was full of thoughts. The nightmare was fresh in his mind, and his scar tingled. And why was Toph babysitting him as he slept? How had he not noticed her come in? The others probably agreed to keep someone in there to watch him. They didn’t trust him.

Zuko took a deep breath. No. They cared about him. Toph cared about him. That’s why she was there. He coughed weakly, then rolled to his back.

“I did have a nightmare,” he said quietly, looking to the ceiling.

“What was it about?” she asked.

He hesitated. “My scar.”

She seemed surprised. “Your scar,” she repeated.

“Yeah, the one on my face. I was dreaming about how it happened.” He felt foolish explaining it.

“You weren’t... born with it?”

Zuko furrowed his brow, then shook his head slowly. “No. I wasn’t.” He forgot that without sight, there was no way Toph would know that the mark on his face was clearly burned skin. She probably only knew he had a scar because of comments made by others.

“I didn’t know,” she responded, her voice once again displaying a softness he hadn’t heard from her before.

“It’s okay.” He paused. “It’s ugly. It’s a blessing not to see it.”

“Can I feel it?”

“No,” Zuko responded harshly. He didn’t want to be touched at all, let alone on his scar.

“Okay.” She didn’t push.

Zuko sighed and turned toward her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” He sniffled. “Maybe later, okay? I just don’t feel very good right now.”

Toph nodded solemnly, her usual sarcasm gone. “I understand.”

“Thanks,” he whispered, closing his eyes again. He sniffled and turned away again before letting himself fall back asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished rewatching Avatar and I forgot how much I love Zuko!! This is my first Avatar fic (actually my first fic at all since like 2016) so let me know what you think :) I’ll post more if you guys wanna read it ♡


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